Franks' hat-trick makes history

Paul Franks became the youngest bowler in Nottinghamshire's history to claim a hat-trick on the opening day of their Championship match against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge yesterday.

The 18-year-old all-rounder, named in the England Under-19 squad yesterday, celebrated with his county's first hat-trick since Richard Hadlee claimed one against Kent in 1987. His victims were Trevor Penny, caught behind, and Dougie Brown and Graham Welch who were both bowled off their pads.

That took Warwickshire from 225 for 3 to 225 for 6, but half-centuries by David Hemp and Dominic Ostler helped them reach 328 for 9 by the close.

Darren Gough took four wickets for Yorkshire as Durham were bowled out for 152 at Scarborough. Durham's former captain Mike Roseberry took a blow on the helmet when on four as he ducked into a short ball from Craig White and retired suffering from double vision one run later.

When he resumed at 122 for 6 he was caught behind first ball from a thin edge off Peter Hartley. Roseberry stood his ground for a long time, staring down the pitch at umpire George Sharp and his behaviour left Sharp and his colleague John Harris with no option but to report him to Lord's for dissent. Yorkshire in reply were 137 for 2.

The Tasmanian Shaun Young hit his first century for Gloucestershire on another bad day for Derbyshire. It began when the England hopeful Mike Smith snapped up six wickets with his left-arm inswingers to bowl Derbyshire out for 120.

After Derbyshire's disastrous start at the Cheltenham Festival, Young then outscored them by himself. Taking runs all round the wicket he was still there at the close, seeing Gloucestershire to 306 for 4. Young was on 156.

Northamptonshire's David Roberts scored his maiden first class century at home to Essex in only his fifth Championship game. The hosts subsided to the wiles of Paul Grayson (4 for 53) once Roberts was out for 117 but a spirited unbeaten last-wicket stand between David Ripley and Scott Boswell took them to 354 for 9 by the close.